Anatomical corset.



S. L, GOSSARD.

ANATOMICAL CORSET.

APPLICATWN FILED JAN.Z.1917.

1,232,282. Patented July 3, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SARAH I). GOSSARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANATOMICAL oonsnr. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed January 2, 1917. Serial No. 140,073.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SARAH L. GOSSARD, a

I citizen of the United States. residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anatomical Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in anatomical corsets, and has particular reference to a corset which may be worn by a girl or woman without the dangers usually attendant upon the wearing of ordinary corsets.

The ordinary corset is at the present time constructed and worn for the sole purpose of preserving or accentuating the symmetry of the figure, or, rather, to mold the figure into the lines established by the current edicts of fashionable society. The shape or form of the corset and of the person inclosed thereby has heretofore been established and maintained by equipping the corset with a series of flat, somewhat. flexible, stiffening members made of whalebone, featherbone, steel or analogous material, these stiffening members being usually styled steels? in the corset trade.

In order to construct a corset which shall be acceptable to the trade and fulfil the desiredifunction of compressing the body of the wearer into a fashionable form or shape, it has been considered necessary to place these steels in the corset in a vertical or approximately vertical position, regardless of what effect such positions of the steels may have upon the health or comfort of the wearer. The medical profession has, however, conclusively established, by long continued observations, autopsies, and dissections of women. that many diseases, some of them common to both sexes and others peculiar to women, have been caused or aggravated by the wearing of corsets.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a corset which will'obviate the dangers to health and comfort due to the wearing of the ordinary corset, while at the same time enabling the wearer to assume or preserve the desired fashionable shape; other objects of the invention are to provide a corset which may be constructed according to the usual manufacturing methods; to provide acorset which may be relatively simple and economical in design and construction, and in general, to provide an improved anatomical corset of the character re,- ferred to.

After a long continued series of investigati ns, I have discovered that the deleterious effects of the ordinary corset are due, not to the corset 77c?" so, but principally to the fact that the steels of the corset obstruct or impede the natural blood circulation. Briefly stated, 'my invention consists in so arranging the steels of the corset in such positions that there is no substantial interference with the blood circulation, while at the same time the stools are so placed as to furnish the support necessary to mold the body as dictated by fashion. In carrying out my invention, I

take advantage of the fact, well known to physicians and anatomists, that the blood circulation. that is to say, the veins and arteries, are almost invariably alined with the muscles of a persons anatomy. Hence,

in carrying out my invention, I arrange the steels of the corset in such positions that they are located parallel, or substantially parallel. with the muscles, of course selecting and locating the steels over such muscles as it is desiredto apply pressure to in order adequately to support the person of the wearer. v

In the drawings, which illustrate the application of my invention to a corset of the front lace type v Figure 1 is an anatomical chart showing the muscle arrangement of a womans trunk, viewed from the front;

Fig. 2 is a similar anatomical chart showing a womans trunk viewed from the back;

Fig. 3 is a similar anatomical chart showin portions of the side muscles; 1

*ig. 4 is a three-quarter front view of a woman wearing my improved corset; and

Fig. 5 is a three-quarter view of the woman shown in Fig. 4. e

In practically applying my invention, I

have discovered that in order to produce a rectus abdominis.

obliquus abdominis externus. transversus abdominis.

trapezius.

latissimus dorsi.

gluteus maximus.

The locations of these muscles are shown upon the anatomical charts in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, of the exterior muscles of the anatomy.

Some of these muscles are underlaid with other internal muscles which in more than one instance are crossed by the exterior muscles at an angle and are not parallel there with. This, however, is of no serious consequence for the reason that the muscles in the exterior layer of the anatomy are so heayy and thick that the pressure of the steels is softened or mitigated, so that there is no perceptible interference with the circulation in the muscles of the interior layer of the anatomy.

In Figs. 4 and 5. which show a woman wearing my improved corset, 10 represents as a whole a (iossard corset of the front lame type. It will he observed that the longitudinal or vertical boning of the corset is entirely omitted. with the exception of a pair of bones l] and 12 in the front associated with the lacing of the corset and which overlie the muscle rectus abdominis. As a precaution. to prevent the lacing of the corset from pres ing transversely into and across the rectus abdominis. I insert under the lacing a strip of fabric 13 having longitudinal rows of stitching. as at 14, which give to it a slight stiffness and enable it to maintain its shape. It will also be observed that I have omitted the customary longitudinal tapes which cover the seams connecting the different pieces of fabric from which the corset is constructed. These, however, have not been shown simply to avoid confusion, since it is of course understood that as a commercial proposition it would be a difiicult matter to manufacture the corset from a single piece of goods.

The bones which cover the muscle obliquus abdominis externus are indicated at 15 in Fig. 4. said bones or steels being continued obliquely around to the back in the vicinity of the waist line only, as shown at 16, so as to lie over the muscle transversus abdominis. It should be noted that the lower set of steels 15. which cover the lower part of the muscle ohliquus abdominis externus, do not extend beyond the latter, that portion of the corset which is below the steels covering the trans versus abdominis being free from boning.

As to the back muscles. I find it preferable to provide a series (usually two) of short oblique steels 17 at the top of the corset and overlying the lower end of the trapezius. Between the trapezius steels and the rear ends of the transversus abdominis steels I apply a set of oblique steels 18 overlying the muscle latissimus dorsi which covers and overlies the ends of the transversus abdominis muscle. It is of course understood that the ends of the transversus steels do not pass under the latissimus steels, but stop short thereof. as shown in Fig. 5. A set of steels 19 is located over the muscle gluteus maximus. It is understood that the corset is furnished with the usual attaching or eonnecting means associated with the front bone or steel 11, whereby the corset may be quickly applied to or detached from the person of the wearer.

The articular steel arrangement which I have escribed and shown is that which preferably may be adopted for a woman having the measurements shown in the drawings, in order to produce a shape of figure which is considered fashionable at the pres ent time, 6., the fall of 1916.

It is of course obvious that with the principle of my invention made known, the corsetiere, cooperating with one skilled in anatomy, may construct anatomical corsets of the class described for all kinds of figures. in conformity with current fashions. .llence, the invention is in no sense limited by the described details of coustrudion. its scope being determined by reference to the appended claims.

I claim- 1. A corset having portions of its area provided with stiffening members parallel with the fibers of the exterior layer of muscles covered by said portions. the remainder of the corset being substantially free from stiffening.

2. A corset stiffened solely by sets of steels parallel with and overlying exterior muscle layers of the wearers anatomy.

3. A corset provided with symmetrically arranged sets of front and rear steels, the steels of each set being approximately parallel with each other and inclined to the front and rear center lines of the corset. with their ends terminating in the vicinity of said lines.-

4. A corset provided with front stiffening means arranged parallel with and overlying the muscle rectus abdominis. and provided at the front with symmetrically arranged sets of steels located in oblique relation to the first mentioned stiffening means and overlying the muscle obliquus abdominis ex ternus.

A corset provided with front stiffening means arranged parallel with and overlying the muscle rectus abdominis, and provided at the front with symmetrically arranged sets of steels located in oblique relation to the first mentioned still'ening means parallel with and overlying the muscle obliouus abdominis externus, the upper steels having extensions which overlie the muscle transversus abdominis.

6. A corset provided with front stiffening means arranged parallelwith and overlying the muscle rectus abdominis, and provided at the front with symmetrically arranged sets of steels located in oblique relation to the first mentioned stiffening means parallel with and overlying the muscle obliquus ab dominis externus, the upper steels having extensions which are parallel with and overlie the muscle transversus abdominis, said stilfemng means being provided Wlth suitat the front with symmetrically arranged sets of steels located in oblique relation to the first mentioned stiffening means and parallel with and overlying the muscle obliquus abdominis externus, the upper steels having extensions which parallel and overlie the muscle transversus abdominis, and provided at the rear with sets of steels arran ed symmetrically at either side of the spinal line and inclined thereto paralleling and overlying the muscle latissimus dorsi.

8. A corset provided with front stiffening means arranged to overlie the muscle rectus ahdominis and provided at the front with symmetrically arranged sets of steels located in oblique relation to the first mentioned stiffening means paralleling and overlying the muscle obliquus abdominis externus, the upper steels having extensions which parallel and overlie the muscle transver'sus abdominis, and provided at the rear with sets of steels arranged symmetrically at either side of the spinal line and inclined thereto paralleling and overlying the muscle lati-ssimus dorsi, the rear ends of the front steel extensions terminating in the vicinityof the lower steels of the sets overlying the latissimus dorsi.

9. A corset having the principal portions of those areas of the corset'which cover the main exterior muscles of the wearers anatomy provided with stifi'ening members paralleling and overlying said muscles, the

dominis. v

remainder of the area of said corset being substantially free from stitl'ening members.

10. A corset having the principal portions of those areas of the corset which cover the main exterior muscles under the corset. provided with steels paralleling and overlying said muscles.

11. A corset having considerable portions of the corset areas which overlie the muscles rectus abdominis, obliquus abdominis externus, latissimus dorsi, and gluteus maximus, provided with sets of approximately arallel steels paralleling and overlying t e respective muscles.

12. A corset having the principal portions ofthose areas of the corset which cover the main exterior muscles under the corset, provided with steels paralleling and overlyin said muscles, the remainder of the area 0 said corset being substantially free from stiffening members.

"13.-A corset having considerable portions ot' the corset areas which overlie the muscles reclus abdominis, obliquus abdominis externus, latissimus dorsi, and gluteus maximus, provided with sets of approximately parallel steels paralleling and overlying respective muscles, the remainder of the corset area being substantially free from steels.

'14. A corset having considerable portionsof the corset areas which overlie the muscles rectus ab'dominis obliquus abdominis externus, latissimus dor'si, and gluteus maximus, provided with sets of approximately parallel steels paralleling and overlying respective muscles, the remainder of the corset area being substantially free from steels, and quick-detachable connecting means associated with a steel overlying the rectus ab- SARAH L. GOSSARD. 

